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To deal with SPAM comments, all comments are moderated. I'm typically willing to post contrary views...but I also only check the list once a day, so if you posted within the last 24 hours, I may not be to it yet.

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The Heart Mender: A Story of Second ChancesEver read a book that you just kind of wish is true? That's my take on The Heart Mender by Andy Andrews. It's a charming story of love and forgiveness, and it's woven into the historical setting of World War II America. For the narrative alone, the book is worth the read, but the message it contains is well worth absorbing as well.However, let's drop back a minute. This book was originally published under the title Island of Saints. I read Island of Saints and enjoyed it greatly. Now, Andrews has released it under a new title, with a few minor changes. All of this is explained in the Author's Note at the beginning, but should be noted for purchaser's sake. If you read Island of Saints, you're rereading when you read The Heart Mender. Now, go ahead and reread it. It will not hurt you one bit.Overall, the story is well-paced. There are points where I'd like more detail, both in the history and the geog…

Good morning! Today I want to take a look at the NIV Faithlife Study Bible. Rather than spend the whole post on this particular Study Bible, I’m going to hit a couple of highlights and then draw you through a few questions that I think this format helps with.

First, the basics of the NIV Faithlife Study Bible (NIVFSB, please): the translation is the 2011 New International Version from Biblica. I’m not the biggest fan of that translation, but that’s for another day. It is a translation rather than a paraphrase, which is important for studying the Bible. Next, the NIVFSB is printed in color. Why does that matter? This version developed with Logos Bible Software’s technology and much of the “study” matter is transitioning from screen to typeface. The graphics, maps, timelines, and more work best with color. Finally, you’ve got the typical “below-the-line” running notes on the text. Most of these are explanations of context or highlights of parallels, drawing out the facts that we miss by …

Mark records a curious event in his third chapter (link). If you look at Mark 3:25, you'll see that Jesus quotes the sixteenth President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. After all, one of the highlights of the Lincoln years is his famous speech regarding slavery in the United States where he used the phrase that "a house divided against itself cannot stand." This speech was given in 1858 when he accepted the nomination to run against Stephen A. Douglas for Senate, but is still remembered as the defining speech regarding slaveholding in the United States. I recall being taught in school how brilliant and groundbreaking the speech was, how Lincoln had used such wise words to convey his thought. Yet the idea was not original to Lincoln. Rather, it was embedded in Lincoln from his time reading the Bible. Now, I have read varying reports about Lincoln's personal religious beliefs: some place him as a nearly completely committed Christian while others have him somewh…